New from Iowa

[harlantk]

Hello forum folk!
Just getting started here in wine making after a failed endeavor about 20 years ago. Digging out all the old equipment and pondering new carboy's for use, one glass 5 gallon left from yesteryear.
Researching new materials on-line (yeast, nutrient, clarifier's, etc..) and recipes as well.
Preference is to go with traditional materials and considering the new concentrates available.
So a big hello from Iowa and please call me Tim

Tim

 

[jeepingchick]

WELCOME!!!! thes guys are great and will help ya along....i spend most of my time in the corner so dont listen to me LOL!!!

 

[midwestwine]

Welcome
What part of Iowa do you live in

 

[Wade E]

Welcome tim, things have changed over the years and have gotten much better. Please post a recipe of anything you plan to make and let us eye it up and stare you in the right direction cause some of those recipes are pretty old and have very high starting gravities, Please use a hydrometer for making wine, they are cheap and will make learning how to and your wine much better.

 

[IQwine]

Hey... a fellow Iowan.... welcome, Tim

 

[xanxer82]

Welcome aboard. I'd say start with an extract kit then move on from there.

 

[harlantk]

WOW Fast responses
Thank you jeepingchick IQwine Wade E Matt and xanxer82
I appreciate your quick input here.
I was pondering since I posted and thunked, remembering the failure reasons, went to my closet to see.... ahhh my old notes OH! Look! I remember that box (More old supplies.)
This like started to fall together better than I hoped! Figured many days sorting in the garage for things, so! I have my carboy brushes, old campden tabs (Toss) old Yeast (Andovin) *Has to still be good* (LOL) pectin enzyme, citric acid, thermometer, hydrometer, acid test kit, ph test kit, and more....whoa I am good to go..... after replacing the organics and chemicals.
I am going to begin with a concentrate/xtract Kit? thing. I remember the mashing grapes and not wishing to include that process. In fact the first 5 to 10 gallons will prolly be Welches to just run things through and make certain of the cleanliness aspects. Rather toss a batch of Welches and get a feel again, before chucking a load of good stuff.
Eastern Iowa! QC in fact, so maybe a road trip later down the road...
I am placing a wine rack/display case in that corner Jeepingchick, so HAHA come on out!
The rest of the week is now dedicated to the room, I will use most of the wash/utility room, in the basement. Good temp control there. But I want to clean the walls and such, and a few niceties like sink, table, bottling rack, and so on.
So thats the plan!

Tim

 

[Wade E]

The first thing you need is k-meta (potassium metabisulfite) which is also campden tablets but its cheaper in powder form and easier to use as you dont have to crush it up. It is used in tha sanitizing process for your equipment, its used to stun the wild yeast before adding your yeast of choice, and its also added to your wine after fermentation is complete to keep it from oxidizing. Its the best thing to have on hand period. You can make the Welches recipe, they are ok. The concentrate kits are very easy with instructionsw and all the ingredients in there so messing up is almost impossible.

 

[jtstar]

Welcome aboard from your neighbor to the west across the river. What part of Iowa are you from. Have you visited the Map yet take a look and put yourself on the map
Jack

 

[xanxer82]

You may want to actually start out with an orchard breezin' kit or winexpert vintners reserve kit. They are pretty cheap, easy to drink too. That way you won't have to worry about tannins and acid levels and all at first.

 

[Julie]

Hi Tim

I think you are going to fit right in here since you are already stocking up the corner, Nikki that doesn't mean you now have a reason to go into the corner.

 

[harlantk]

Jstar: I will have to find this map, yep and place a glob on it representing me, kewl idea.
xanxer82: yeah I am looking at all the kits now....... Wine in a can?? but yeah I may just go this route, course the figuring the acid and all is part of what I hope to understand, so Ill just take readings, record and see what happens
Wade: Yep on tools, equipment and space and light and stuff! I put away a lil allowance to get started with so will go easy at first really.
Julie: I hope to fit in, a lil, maybe, sorta kinda.. and yep will be stocking up over time. and 2+2= Nikki=jeepingchick?

Back to cleaning ...........

Tim

 

[jeepingchick]

2+2= Nikki=jeepingchick?


Tim

yup tis me!!! i get sent to the corner alot but i do nothing wrong......im the little kid that gets picked on *sniff* *sniff*

 

[Wade E]

The Map
http://wineapp.michaelsouellette.com/

 

[Runningwolf]

Tim welcome aboard, I can tell you'll fit right in. Lots of great people here with lots of answers. Feel free to ask anything anytime.

Nikki, It would be a blast watching you being sent to the corner in a round room Honestly though you can come out for the weekend.

 

[jeepingchick]

Honestly though you can come out for the weekend.

oppppp was i sposed to stay there ??? dang i keep leaving LOL! thought i was just sposed to go n LOOK at it all this time heheheh!

 

[jtstar]

oppppp was i sposed to stay there ??? dang i keep leaving LOL! thought i was just sposed to go n LOOK at it all this time heheheh!

jeepingchick how many bottles did you have stashed in the corner

 

[harlantk]

There was 6 bottles stashed here.... WAS!


Tim

 

[jeepingchick]

HAHHAHA yall know my wine aint drinkable yet.....i really need to do a mist kit so i can stop drinking store bought wine **sigh**

so Tim, what is your first batch gonna be??? are ya gonna do a kit? i started with Kits and LOVE em but have ventured into fruits and concentraits.....

 

[harlantk]

Hi Nikki!
Hello world, hi Forum! ....hmm who did I forget?.....
WEll I am at the luxury of not having to make that decision yet since I am doing prep work, I am gutting the utility room, washing all walls, a coat of paint or two or three, installing tables, making a wine rack (wall style, 10 feet wide 4 foot tall) **(Those are some hefty wall anchors needed)** so all this gives me a few weeks to ponder. BUT! not avoiding the question I am going to settle on a quality kit this first go. I live in a shared house, so the family upstairs has made it rather clear that Burgundy or Cab Merlot shall be on my roster.
My favorite wine was a Spatlese way back in the early 80's, a late 70's vintage, but I can not find the label yet to who what it were was. But I love burgundy too so. So I found this lil fella "Vino Del Vida World Tour - Chilean Cabernet Merlot" and might go with that one, and or a couple of others as well.
I am not sure yet which online companies are legit so am strolling carefully which means slow

Tim

Addendum: A Choice was made and thanks go to XanXer82 for the suggestion in the thread FNG...Kansas and tomorrow will be ordered the fathers day special of the Vieux Chateau du Roi, complete kit. The extra equipment I do not think will be of any issue!!
Learning to walk again really....

Tim